Dudley Stop Smoking Service

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STOPTOBER: Councillor to stop smoking for charity

Dudley’s finance boss who smokes 15 cigarettes a day is kicking the habit in return for donations to charity.

Councillor Pete Lowe, the council’s cabinet member for finance, is taking part in the Government’s public health Stoptober campaign to quit smoking throughout October.

And Councillor Lowe, who has smoked for 28 years since the age of 16, will stump up around £100 for the Mayor’s charities in the money he saves through not buying cigarettes. The charity effort will also help raise awareness of the council’s new responsibilities for public health.

Councillor Lowe will take people on the journey with him through a video diary on YouTube that will be posted weekly throughout October on the council’s website at http://www.youtube.com/dudleymbc

He will celebrate his 44th birthday on October 1, which will be the first day of the Stoptober campaign. The keen Wolves football fan and father-of-two, explained why he had decided to try and quit smoking now.

He said:

“I hope by doing it for charity and doing it very publicly will help me keep to it and not only get through the month but also quit smoking for good. The council is also now taking on responsibility for public health issues so I thought it was appropriate that we look to lead by example.”

Councillor Zafar Islam, cabinet member for public health and well-being, said:

“Our public health team has a stop smoking team which supports people to quit. We will be working closing with Councillor Lowe to help him through the month and we wish him all the best.”

The Dudley Stop Smoking Service offers a range of services in GP practices, pharmacies, community groups, workplaces and provides specialist support for pregnant women and their families. For more information to stop smoking call Dudley Stop Smoking Service on 0800 0850 652, text CAN to 80800, visit www.dudleystopsmoking.co.uk or www.facebook.com/DudleyStopSmoking

Alternatively people can visit any one of 54 pharmacies, their GP’s surgery as well joining four regular stop smoking community groups and 13 fixed term groups that rotate at venues across the borough.

All money raised through savings by Councillor Lowe will be donated to the Mayor of Dudley’s charities, which are the Stroke association and Diabetes UK.